1. Field of the Invention
The invention set forth in the specification pertains to a supplemental waste recycling container for mounting to a wastebasket. More specifically, the invention pertains to a supplemental recycling container for mounting to either the inside or outside of the wastebasket without requiring special mounting means such as hooks or clasps.
2. Description of Related Art
Various container systems have been disclosed in the prior art which provide multiple-compartment refuse containers to allow a consumer to separate refuse for the purpose of recycling portions of the refuse.
Typical multiple compartment containers include those disclosed in Crine U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,253, Kostic U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,218, Pender U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,894, Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,615 and Pluss U.S Pat. No. 4,114,776.
The Crine patent provides a recycling container unit having relatively small waste containers mounted to the inside of a larger vessel. The inner containers are detachably mounted via an anchoring means comprising interlocking male and female slot structures.
The Kostic patent provides a complementary trash can unit comprising four quarter-sectional cylindrical compartments mounted together to form a single circular cylindrical container for receiving trash. A lid and a base are provided for securing the four compartments together as one unit.
The Pender patent provides a supplemental container assembly for garbage including four generally semicircular compartments. Two of the compartments are mounted together to form a circular cylindrical bottom section. The remaining two sections are mounted together to form a second circular cylindrical section and are positioned on top of the lower cylindrical section but rotated by 90 degrees with respect to the bottom section. The upper cylindrical sections include interior recessed walls which mate to provide shoots to the lower containers.
The Johnson patent provides a multiple compartment refuse container having a cabinet-type bin providing a linear array of individual waste receptacles, each having an upper door and a side door.
The Pluss patent likewise discloses a recycling container providing a linear array of individual sections for recycling waste.
Multiple-compartment recycling containers such as those discussed above are typically expensive to manufacture, cumbersome to use, and require considerable space.
Simpler and less expensive waste recycling containers have also been disclosed for use with existing waste containers. Such containers are typically mounted either to the interior or exterior of a larger waste container. Typically, such containers are mounted by means of hooks or clasps. However, the need for such hook or clasp mounting means is disadvantageous since the hooks or clasps add to the cost of the container and often do not securely fasten the waste recycling container to the larger waste container. Furthermore, such hook or clasp means can be lost or broken, in which event the waste recycling container can no longer be mounted to the larger receptacle.
Yet other waste recycling containers have been disclosed wherein a supplemental container rests on the interior rim of a larger waste container. Such containers are not securely mounted to the rim of the larger container. Thus, the supplemental container can be easily dislodged from the larger container and fall into the larger container where it may be discarded accidentally. To solve the problem, the recycling container is often made oversize with respect to the interior of the larger waste container such that the supplemental container is wedged into the larger container. Such supplemental containers are often very difficult to insert or remove and can damage the larger container upon insertion or removal.